8th Grade Team Reminders
Week of Feb. 5- 9, 2024
West Welcome!
I hope everyone had a wonderful and warm weekend and you are prepared for another week of teaching and learning! And Happy Black History Month!
This week, we are testing Monday and Tuesday. A Grade level meeting on Monday and a staff meeting on Wednesday morning. So it's a busy, full week. But most importantly, it is National School Counselor Week! Please help show your appreciation for all the things Ms. Saunders and Ms. Gwilt do for us and our students! We are very fortunate to have such dedicated professionals to work alongside us!
Outside HAC is cancelled for the grade level this week due to the number of students who are out of area, leaving class, and a fight that occurred last week. Outside HAC will be reinstated if students show improvement on classroom behaviors and peer interactions.
Let me know if you want to be a part of planning the 8th grade social and/or promotion! I have only one person who has notified me of wanting to help so far.
#HawkPride
Let's make it a good week!
Shout Outs!
- SMOM Nomination Form: Vote for our staff member of the month of January here!
- Shout out to Ms. Saunders for teaching lessons last week to our 8th graders, but also giving information sessions for course registration for our 6th and 7th graders!
- Thank you to Mr. Besner for reaching out to district level custodial staff to get needed materials for his club! His diligence will help students to make a positive impact for the school and environment!
- Thank you all for managing last week with a little less support on the hallway since Coach Smith was in IC a few days.
- Congrats to our Basketball Teams on finishing up their season this Monday! Thank you to Coach Penn, Coach Goff, Coach K. Smith, and Coach D. Smith for devoting their time and talents to lead these groups of student-athletes! If you haven't been able to come to a game, we have Home game this Monday!
- Would you like to shout someone out for doing something great? Send it to me so I can include in our newsletter.
Week At A Glance
- Monday- ELA MAP Testing- See modified schedule in Calendar Invite- Grade Level Meeting- Home BB v. Eastway. "8th Grade Student Athlete Recognition Night"
- Tuesday- Math MAP Testing- See modified schedule in calendar invite- PLCs during planning.
- Wednesday- Full Staff Meeting at 7:30 in Innovation Station. Use time for planning, attendance calls, and/or team discussions around need for a parent conference.
- Thursday- PLCs during planning.
- Friday- No formal meetings. Use the time for parent communication, attendance calls, updating grades, and prep for next week.
This Week is also a Black History Month Spirit Week! I look forward to seeing participation and representation to recognize all the amazing contributions, histories, and culture!
Upcoming Dates
Feb. 12-23- Access Testing
Feb. 14- 2nd Quarter Awards Ceremony, Early Release Day
Feb. 19- No School- President's Day
Feb. 20- Spring Athletics Try-outs begin
To Do List and Reminders
- Send Me (West) your Gradebook Qtr Analysis Report if you haven't already. I have linked it below.
- Make contact and document your attempt for Attendance Issues on this Attendance Call Log. Your participation in this important task is required and will be reflected in Evaluations.
- Be sure that you have completed modules 1-5 in our Trauma Informed Practices PD, led by our school counselors. Be sure you have taken the quizzes for modules 1-5 so you can receive credit. The course is in Canvas.
- Be at your door during morning arrival and all transitions to help communicate to students that they need to be in their assigned class. Students should not be lingering or going from room to room without permission.
- If you need a student during HawkTime, communicate with their assigned teacher through a written pass or phone call/text. Teachers, do not take the word of a student as we have had an increase in students "assigning themselves to a different classroom" during HawkTime.
- Be sure you have a sub folder in your classroom that is 1) Easy to Find 2) Completed with needed information for the sub. This includes bell schedules, rosters, important information that can help the day run more smoothly, etc. This helps us to build a positive relationship with subs so that they want to continue to come back. It also helps to ensure that your students receive relevant instruction and follow procedures while you are out.
- All students need escorts to the bathroom or when traveling to the front office or another classroom that is outside of your direct supervision. No student should be in the hallway by themselves. Before sending students to the bathroom, check with the BMT or staff member sitting out in the hallway. Do NOT just send them when you know someone is out in the hallway.
Be prepared with paper assignments for students to complete when they do not have a chromebook or if they are in IC. Feel free to email Walter Waddler electronic versions. Students will not have access to their chromebook while in IC. Admin/BMT can help to run copies or ensure that books are returned back to teacher.
Paper or back-up assignments should also be prepared for students who do not have a chromebook.
Take some time this week to meet with your team to discuss any student concerns that you would like a team meeting to help support the student.
Remember to stagger our classes exiting hallways for our transition to Encore. It should go Carosa, Stitt, Croom, Carrothers, Tacy, Goff, McElheny, Besner. Then exiting from the opposite end of the 800 hall, Macabodbod, Penn, K. Smith, M. Smith, Burgess. Walk with your class to ensure all students go into their classrooms for encore. It helps to line them up by class that they are going to.
Forms and Links
- AAA List for Feb- Sweatheart Dance
- AVID Summer Institute 2024 – We are planning to travel with teacher leaders to Tampa, Florida on June 23-26 to attend this dynamic conference. I would like to select two teachers from each GL or Content area depending on funding. To be considered for selection, we will need verbal and written confirmation of returning for next school year. This is due to our team having to book flight and hotel arrangements using school funds. In addition, participants will become apart of our AVID Site Team for next year. This will include working with our Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) to plan schoolwide decisions, modeling best practices for teachers needing support, and leading Professional Development sessions. If you are committed to our vision at Northridge and would like to attend, please complete the form linked HERE
- SMOM Nomination Form: Vote for our staff member of the month for January - Here
HawkTime- Academic Enrichment- SEL
- HawkTime is broken into 2 major sections each day.
- Section 1 is SEL (about 20 Min). Section 2 is Enrichment/Interventions (about 30 min). Students focus on Math on Tuesday, ELA on Wednesday, and Clubs on Thursday.
We will be adjusting our schedule for HawkTime, beginning the week of Nov. 27th. We will see each block during the week. Students will go straight from 3rd block to the block as designated in the schedule below. Be sure you are planning within your PLC for utilizing this valuable time for extensions of your lessons, remediation, interventions, etc.
- Monday- 1st Block
- Tuesday- 2nd Block
- Wednesday- 3rd Block
- Thursday- Clubs
- Friday- 5th Block